


little lioness

by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics)



Series: Sheith Week Unlimited [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adoption, Background Hance, Christmas, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Starting A Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 12:57:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9491828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/ShirosRedKnight
Summary: Keith runs his finger along the curve of his mug’s handle. Waits for Shiro to put his mug down before asking, “Do you think we’re ready for kids?”Shiro blinks, eyes clearing up as he stares at Keith. Keith silently stares back, waiting for a response. He turns in his seat when Shiro walks around the counter and sits next to him, their knees knocking together as they face each.Warmth spreads through him when Shiro links their hands together on top of Keith’s knee. “I’ve been ready for years.”--How Shiro & Keith started building a family together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> On my Day 1 fill, princedeadend said they'd like to see more of the domesticity I'd talked about in the fic. And honestly that tickled my muse so BAD I decided that I'd write the whole week's prompts in this verse. So here we go. Day 2 - Lions. Future fic with sheith domesticity and parenting and stuff. 
> 
> I did some quick and dirty research about the adoption process in Texas so damn good chance I made some mistake somewhere. But lets assume that because they're heroes and rich that the whole process was expedited for them. 
> 
> I also couldn't mention this smoothly anywhere but Christina is Japanese-American.

Six months after their triumphant return to Earth, they find their dream home. It’s exactly what they wanted. There’s a nice backyard, tall fences to afford them security, and a pool Keith can already see their kids splashing around in.

 

One look at the house and they’d silently agreed this was it. Admittedly it’s a bit of a fixer-upper but they feel up for the challenge. If they can take down the Galra empire then they can surely turn this house into a home. 

 

“I like that the biggest decision we have to make is what color to paint the walls,” Shiro muses as they stand shoulder to shoulder, staring at at three colors painted on the living room wall.

 

They spend most of the next year learning to live with each other without a crisis hanging over their heads. Although Shiro firmly insists that waking up to a home with no coffee constitutes as a crisis. Keith fondly rolls his eyes and tells him they’ll go grocery shopping once they’re done having breakfast at the cafe.

 

In the same time period, they fix their home up. It’s a labor of love. Keith finds comfort in the most mundane of tasks, snickering to himself as Shiro curses every time he accidentally misses the nail and hits his own thumb. 

 

Finally the day arrives when they’re completed every task on their list. The staircase is fixed, the creaky porch step no longer creaks, and they’ve managed to successfully install a porch swing. Keith sits on a stool, elbows on the cool counter, staring at the list scribbled on the blackboard on the wall. Across from him, Shiro nurses a mug of coffee, waiting for the caffeine to kick in.

 

Keith runs his finger along the curve of his mug’s handle. Waits for Shiro to put his mug down before asking, “Do you think we’re ready for kids?”

 

Shiro blinks, eyes clearing up as he stares at Keith. Keith silently stares back, waiting for a response. He turns in his seat when Shiro walks around the counter and sits next to him, their knees knocking together as they face each. 

 

Warmth spreads through him when Shiro links their hands together on top of Keith’s knee. “I’ve been ready for  _ years _ .”

 

The next few months are filled with preparations. Keith takes the time to check if the orphanage he’d been left at is still running or not. Looks into meeting all the adoption requirements. Finds a private adoption agency to work with. Gets them registered to attend PRIDE classes. Arranges several home studies which include them inviting the other paladin’s over as well.

 

“Thinking about adopting, huh?” Lance asks at the end of one home study. “Hunk and me were thinking surrogacy.”

 

“That comes later,” Shiro admits with a grin, smiling when Keith gives his shoulders a warm squeeze.

 

Completing the home study is the longest part of the process but eventually it comes to a successful end. The next step is finding the right child to adopt. 

 

Fall is tapping her fingers against their windows when Shiro murmurs into his hair, “Baby, I was thinking.” When Keith makes a noise implying he’s listening, Shiro raises himself up to on his arms to peer down at him. “Do you want to go to the orphanage you went too to adopt?”

 

Lips turning up into a shaky but grateful smile, Keith touches Shiro’s cheek. Cups his stubble-rough cheek and asks, “How’d you know that’s what I wanted?”

 

“Because I know you.” Shiro kisses his palm, smile turning sheepish before he admits, “And I may have seen the orphanage page open on your phone a couple of times.”

 

Keith digs his knuckles playfully into the side of Shiro’s head before pulling him down, tickling him into submission. They play fight under the sheets, stopping only when Shiro pleads uncle in between loud peals of laughter. 

 

He drops with a huff against Shiro’s side, pulling his arm around his shoulders. He waits for Shiro’s giggles to recede before saying, “When can we go?”

 

“Whenever you want.” Shiro answers easily. 

 

There’s a couple of perks of being humanity’s and galactic heroes. Not only were they handsomely compensated by the government and the Galaxy Garrison, but their hero status affords them a certain level of privileged treatment that can allow them to grab the next flight to Texas even if it was an hour away.

 

Keith thinks about it and suggests they make a trip of it. They take the next week getting everything in order. They make the arrangements via their adoption agency, talk about what they’re looking for with their caseworker, get their tickets and tell their friends not to drop by unexpectedly. But don’t tell them the truth behind their visit.

 

“I don’t want to jinx it,” Keith quietly admits as he stares out the airplane window, watching the runway shrink as they gain altitude. 

 

So under the guise of a vacation, they travel to the orphanage Keith had spent his early years at. Keith’s frozen in place. He stares at the fading sign, the iron fence, and the children playing around the front yard and feels something inside him start to rattle. There are clicks and clanks of something falling apart. 

 

Then Shiro’s hand slips into his. The warmth in his voice causes a shudder to run through him, restoring equilibrium. “Ready?” 

 

“Yeah,” Keith exhales, squeezing Shiro’s fingers before taking a step forward. The lady assigned to their cast stands by the doorway, waiting for them to step onto the porch before opening the door.

 

Over the course of the next few days, they meet every child at the home. Many of them recognize them as two of the Voltron paladins who defeated the Galra aliens. Many more of them don’t. And all of them eye them with a certain degree of suspicion. 

 

Keith smiles weakly at Shiro when he points this out. “You learn not to get your hopes up after you’ve been through a couple of these meetings.”

 

One of the last kids they meet is a shy nine year who admits to knowing who they are while nervously twisting her braided hair around her fingers. Christina. She doesn’t talk a lot but what little she shares tugs on Keith’s heart strings. She asks them a couple of questions about space and answers their questions in return.

 

They exchange a look as soon as they’re alone, waiting for Maggie to come back in. As soon as she steps into the visiting room, as one they say, “Her. She’s the one.”

 

“Are you sure?” she asks. When they nod, she makes a note. “You’ll need to have some longer meetings with her before we can start the next part of the process.”

 

There’s four long meetings with Christina where they play and talk with her under Maggie’s watchful eye. They share a couple of their adventures but mostly keep the conversation centered around her. She blooms under their attention, going from hiding behind her long hair to excitedly telling them about her new favorite movie, Hercules. 

 

At the end of each visit, they hug the girl goodbye and tell Maggie that yes, they’d love to adopt her. Again, it helps being famous and it helps having the necessary resources because Maggie speeds things through for them. There’s a ton of paperwork to fill out that Keith has trouble with. Mostly because his hand can’t stop shaking with excitement. Shiro laughs and kisses his nerves away, telling him to hand the pen over. Ten minutes later he sheepishly admits to facing the same problem.

 

But eventually, a week into November, they get to hold Christina’s small pale hand and ask her if she’d like to come home with them.

 

Her brown eyes fly wide open in surprise, flying from Keith to Shiro. Her soft voice goes high as she asks, “For ever?”

 

“For ever and ever,” Keith nods reassuringly, giving her small hand the tiniest of squeezes.

 

Neither of them expect the sudden tears that fill her eyes but they move as one to reassure her as she starts crying, laughing and tearing up in equal parts as they ask her what’s wrong.

 

“Im-I’m just happy!” she bawls into her fists, frantically scrubbing away tears that’re falling too fast for her to wipe away. In the end, Shiro has to use his shirt sleeve to gently wipe her tears away. Which leaves Keith the task of wiping away  _ Shiro’s _ tears with his own shirt, a sight that makes the young girl giggle softly. 

 

They bring her home a few days afterwards, holding a hand each before swinging her giggling form over the threshold. “Welcome home,” Shiro tells her. 

 

She takes in her new home with wide eyes, clutching Shiro’s hand tightly as he shows her around. Her face when they show her her room is heartbreaking in its surprise. Keith’s been feeling crummy that they hadn’t thought to prepare it in  _ some  _ way for her but she takes the blank walls and simple bed with wide, wondrous eyes.

 

“This  _ my  _ room?” 

 

Keith stands by the door, watching her cautiously approach her bed. “Almost.” She shoots him a slightly alarmed look. Keith immediately explains, “Well, isn’t it boring right now?”

 

Her small face scrunches in confusion, taking in the white walls, the generic painting on the wall, and the deep blue sheets before mumbling, “I guess so.”

 

“Shopping time,” Shiro gleefully announces, rubbing his hands together. 

 

He drives them to the mall immediately, keen on getting Christina’s room ready according to her likes. But she’s painfully hesitant in picking things out. After a three hour long trip, their successes are small. Christina quietly says she’d like her bedroom walls to be sky blue. She shyly picks up a set of bedsheets with a cheerful fish pattern on them.

 

Shiro is a little disappointed on the drive back but Keith places his hand on top of the gear and quietly tells him, “Give her some time to settle in.”

 

“I know,” he murmurs back, glancing in the mirror to check on the small girl who has fallen asleep in the back seat. “I guess I was hoping for too much too soon.”

 

Keith smirks as he reminds his husband, “Patience yields focus, remember?”

 

“I swear I’m going to commission someone to crossstitch that and put it on the wall as the family motto.”

They tell their friends the good news after they’ve had dinner, snapping and sending them a picture of Christina grinning between them. Both their phones ring without minutes of each other, their fellow paladin’s congratulating them in one breath and asking when can they meet their daughter?

 

Shiro and Keith exchange a worried look before looking down at Christina, who is concentrating on getting her meatball onto her spoon. 

 

“Uuh, Christmas?” Keith tentatively offers. 

 

“Perfect.”

 

In the five weeks that follow, the young girl gradually relaxes around them. It’s like watching a rose blossom, one petal unfurling at a time. She quietly admits she doesn’t enjoy peas one day, her shoulders up to her ears. Ready to be scolded. But Shiro only beams at her, kissing her head as he thanks her for telling them that.

 

“But you gotta eat em,” he regretfully tells her, pointing at the small pile of peas on his own plate. “I don’t like them either but we gotta eat ‘em to be strong.” 

 

Her top lip curls in disgust but she follows Shiro’s example, laughing at his exaggerated displays of disgust. 

 

Their subsequent shopping trips go better. She picks out what they ask of her, shyly asking if she can get something extra at the end. Typically she asks for ice cream. Shiro melts immediately but Keith often hesitates. 

 

“Just a small one,” he tends to cave rapidly under the combined weight of Christina and Shiro’s puppy dog eyes. “We don’t want to spoil your appetite for dinner.”

 

By the time Christmas rolls around, Christina is like a new person. She runs around the house rather than tiptoe from one room to the other. She squeals and yells in excitement when happy. No longer does she walk around on egg shells, too scared to break any rule or upset either of  them. 

 

“Who is coming to visit?” she asks while perched on a stool, watching her dad’s make dinner.

 

Shiro offers her a piece of carrot that she happily nibbles on. “The other paladins, you know them right? And Princess Allura too.”

 

Her jaw drops, eyes widening. “ _ The  _ Princess Allura?” she whispers in awe, looking over at Keith for confirmation. 

 

Keith grins. Christina loves hearing of their adventures sure, but she loves hearing of Allura more. She’s been enamored with the princess ever since she’d seen her picture and seen her ears. “Yep. And she said she was bringing a special gift for you too.”

 

The girl looks ready to jump out of her skin with excitement. “When’s she coming?” she asks, bouncing in her seat.

 

“Easy, baby,” Shiro warns her with a laugh. “You don’t want to fall off, do you? And probably tomorrow.”

 

“Day after tomorrow at the latest.” Allura had reassured them she’d be on Earth before Christmas Eve. 

 

Keith laughs that night when Christina shows up in the living room at eleven PM, inquiring if it’s tomorrow yet. He scoops her up, carrying her back to her room. “Not yet, baby. It’s still dark out. See?”  

 

They pause at the window, letting the girl squint out. She distastefully scrunches nose nose before mumbling, “It needs to be tomorrow faster.”

 

“If you go to sleep, it’ll be tomorrow in no time.”

 

She sighs, like it’s the biggest personal affront she’s ever experienced but lets Keith tuck her in again. After checking the night light, Keith kisses the girl goodnight and heads back downstairs. Shiro’s on the phone with someone, laughing.

 

“Okay. We’ll see you guys tomorrow. Yeah, first thing in the morning.” Shiro lowers the phone, turning to Keith as he sits back down in his seat. “Everything okay?”

 

“Yep. Tucked her back in. Who was that?”

 

“Pidge. She said she’ll be here by 9.”

 

Keith steals the controller out of Shiro’s eyes and changes the TV channel to the sports channel. “Hunk and Lance said they’ll be here by noon. Any word from Allura?”

 

“No,” Shiro frowns lightly. “I guess she’ll be here day after?”

 

“So long as she shows up.” Keith doesn’t want Christina to feel disappointed on her first Christmas with them.

 

They have nothing to worry as it turns out because Allura and Coran show up at their doorstep seven in the morning. Shiro and Keith blink tiredly at the aliens who cheerfully declare, “Surprise!”

 

“It’s too early for this,” Keith declares, turning towards the kitchen. 

 

Allura and Coran follow, arguing it’s the perfect time. “I was worried we would be late!” Allura exclaims while taking a seat at the dining table.

 

They make small talk while waiting for the coffee machine to beep it’s done making coffee. But eventually, Coran asks where is their daughter. Glancing around the kitchen and living room like they’ve got her stashed somewhere in a cabinet.

 

Keith’s about to roll his eyes and tell them she’s still sleeping when a sleepy small voice rings out from the staircase. “Tou-chan? Daddy?”

 

Coran’s mustache literally  _ bristles  _ with excitement while Allura clasps her hands together, eyes gleaming with happiness. Shiro grins as he calls out, “In the kitchen, baby.”

 

While the Altean’s dig through a large bag for her present, Keith opens the door to see where the girl is. Shiro is worriedly asking how many presents the aliens have gotten for everyone as Christina descends the stairs. 

 

Keith meets her halfway, hoisting her up on his hip for a kiss and a hug. She sleepily clings to him for a long moment before asking, “Who was ringing the doorbell?”

 

He opens his mouth to tell her but Coran’s triumphant, “Aha! Found it!” cuts him off. 

 

The girl in his arms frowns deeply in confusion, clearly wondering who this new voice belongs too. Keith waits for her to remember before whispering, “Who were you looking forward to seeing the most?”

 

Her browns furrow deeply, thinking about Keith’s question. As soon as it sinks her, her eyes fly open. “Princess Allura?” she asks in an awed voice.

 

“Yes?”

 

They turn as one towards the open kitchen door where Allura stands, beaming at the father-daughter pair. Christina immediately stiffens in his arms, face turning pink before she tucks it away against his neck. Keith just barely avoids getting headbutted in the jaw, pressing his hand against her back with a surprised, “Whoa!”

 

Allura laughs softly, stepping closer. “Is this her?”

 

“Yeah.” Keith tries to make the girl look at Allura but she keeps hiding against him. “Christina? Honey? Don’t you want to meet the Princess?”

 

The girl lets out the tiniest of nods after a long pause before slowly turning her face towards Allura. “Hi,” she greets shyly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

Allura strokes some of Christina’s stray hair down with a gentle hand. “It’s very nice to meet you as well, Christina. I’m Princess Allura, but you can call me Allura.”

 

“Is that okay?”

 

“Of course. My friends call me Allura.”

 

The color in Christina’s cheeks deepens and her expression goes awed. “We’re friends?”

 

“Of course!” Allura tells the girl. “I got you a little present as well! Coran! Can you bring the lions?”

 

“Lions?”

 

Keith’s question goes unanswered, buried under the loud clatter that comes from the kitchen and Christina’s surprised, “Presents?”

 

As it turns out, the lions are two large plush toys. Coran bursts through the door cradling a red and black toy lion in his arms, declaring, “Right here!” Christina jumps a little in surprise but her attention remains locked on the plush toys that look to be as big as she is. 

 

Her wide eyes go from the lions to the Altean’s kind faces, askins, “For me?”

 

“Mmhmm,” Allura places a hand on each lion’s head. “I thought you may like having toys of the lions your fathers’ piloted.”

 

Christina reaches a hand out to touch the red lion’s nose and pulls back with a gasp when the lion lets out a deep purr. Even Keith takes a step back in surprise. “What the heck?”

 

Coran’s eyes twinkle in delight. “Just a little bit of technology and magic at play. These lions, Christina, will only respond to you. They’ll purr and roar and talk to you if you’d like.”

 

“Uh excuse me?” Shiro drawls from behind, tone heavy in worried disapproval. And to think at one point Shiro had been worried he wouldn’t be able to sound like an authoritatie dad. “ _ Talk  _ to her?”

 

Allura waves their worries away. “She’ll basically be talking with the red and black lions. These lions are connected with them.”

 

“Magic,” Keith shakes his head, letting a squirming Christina down on her feet. 

 

The girl totters up to Coran, who crouches down and gestures at her to take the lions. She eyes the plush toys with a worried glance before looking back at Coran. “How do I hold them both?”

 

“Uhhh,” Coran frowns as he eyes the lions before looking at the girl. “What if we...” He drapes the red lion around her shoulders before placing the black lion in her arms. “Perfect!”

 

Allura coos immediately as both lions begin to purr, their eyes glowing golden. Christina stands in the center of their small group, fairly bristling with excitement as she hugs the black lion plushie against her chest. 

 

Her small voice is filled with awe as she stares at Allura, “This is the  _ best  _ present  _ ever _ .”

 

Shiro laughs as he crouches down next to her, stroking her head. “And it’s not even Christmas yet!”

 

Her face lights up at the reminder of more presents. She’s happily telling Coran and Allura about the small pile of presents under the tree that her fathers’ have gotten for her when Keith bends down to whisper in her ear, “Honey, you should thank them for your present.”

 

“Oh!” She exclaims with a blink. “Okay!” 

 

She presses the lions into Keith’s arms before tottering over to the aliens, grabbing them both in a quick hug. The pair’s heads knock together, causing them to wince even as they’re hugging the small girl. 

 

“Thank you” Christina whispers, pressing quick kisses to their cheeks before pulling away with red cheeks.

 

Allura beams at the girl. “You are  _ most  _ welcome.” Coran takes a long sniff before rubbing a tear out of his eye, causing Christina to shook him a worried look. She peers at Allura, who immediately reassures her. “He’s okay. He’s just really happy.”

 

Their daughter nods with great seriously. “I sometimes cry when I’m really happy too.”

 

\--

 

While Christina happily plays with her new toys on the living room floor, the adults exchange amused glances because they’ve all thought the same thing.

 

“I’d like to say this was great minds thinking alike,” Lance jokes as Christina tries to spread the lion-themed bed sheet across the coffee table to check the full design. “But I think we’re all just really predictable.”

 

Pidge snorts, nodding over at the orb floating next to the young girl’s head. “Speak for yourself. I got her a robot.  _ You all _ decided to go for the lions theme.”

 

Christina immediately chimes in, “I like lions though!”

 

“Lucky for us,” Hunk jokes before moving to sit down with the girl, holding a corner of the bedsheet while she totters over the other end.

 

It doesn’t take long for everyone to wind up sitting on the floor, ooh-ing and aah-ing over the robot, the purring lions, and all the other toys Christina’s gotten. 

 

Shiro presses a kiss to the tip of his ear while Pidge shows Christina how to use the orb to take pictures. “Love you,” he whispers into Keith’s ear.

 

He slides his arm around Shiro’s waist and squeezes tightly, “Love you back.”

 

“Daddy! Tou-chan!” Christina excitedly yells, running over to tug on their sweatpants. “We’re gonna use Orb to take a picture of all of us! You gotta be in it too!”

 

“If we gotta,” Shiro teases, letting the girl drag them both to their friends, who are playfully jostling each other. She makes them sit in the middle of the group before planting herself between them.

 

Once everyone has settled down, Christina yells, “Ready?” and holds her palm up towards the robot hovering a few feet away. There’s a flash of green light before the robot floats to a new position, camera whirring as it adjusts its zoom. 

 

“Group hug!” Hunk declares as the light blinks at them, the space between each blink shortening.

 

Shiro’s arm curls around his shoulder immediately, pulling Keith in for a hug. He laughs and presses his cheek against the girl, who laughs as everyone throws their arms out, grabbing whoever is nearest and squeezing in. 

 

It’s a tight fit but the picture, once they all see it? Say it’s the best group picture they’ve ever taken. 

 

“Hands down,” Lance tells Christina. “Even better than the picture I’ve got of your Daddy snorting green goo out of his nose.”

 

Keith waits till his daughter is looking the other before neatly cuffing Lance in the back of his head. 

 

Before the day is over, they’ve got the picture printed out and framed and placed on their mantle piece. Keith holds Christina up, whispering at her to put the picture next to the picture they’d taken right after they’d defeated Zarkon. 

 

While Shiro quickly makes room for the new frame, Keith takes a moment to stare at their younger faces. He’d thought that picture showed the height of their happiness. But when it’s placed next to the picture they’d taken just now? It’s eclipsed. 

 

Christina’s tongue sticks out as she adjusts the frame, making sure it’s in line with the others pictures on display before turning around to ask, “Is that good?”

 

“It’s perfect, baby.” Keith reassures her with a smile, pressing a kiss to her cheek before letting her down. 

 


End file.
